LEDGER’S JOKER ‘TERRIFYING’, SAYS DIRECTOR
THE DARK KNIGHT director CHRISTOPHER NOLAN has paid tribute to the dark acting skills of late actor HEATH LEDGER - branding his performance in the movie "terrifying." The Brokeback Mountain star filmed his final scenes as the Caped Crusader’s nemesis The Joker for the forthcoming Batman film last year (07), just weeks before his tragic death in January (08).
And Nolan states the actor’s final film sequences are spectacular - likening him to a shark who expertly brings "chaos" and "mayhem" to the evil role.
Nolan tells Britain’s Empire magazine, "Our Joker - Heath’s interpretation of The Joker - has always been the absolute extreme of anarchy and chaos. (And) what makes him terrifying is not to humanise him in narrative terms. We didn’t want to show what made him do the things he’s doing, because then he becomes less threatening.
"I like to say he cuts through the movie like Jaws. He just kind of comes and goes and causes complete mayhem." Earlier this year (08), sources close to the late actor claimed playing the manic role pushed Ledger into a depressive state, insisting he took sleeping tablets in order to rest after a playing the dark character.
Toxicology results released in February (08) reported Ledger, 28, was killed by an accidental overdose of prescribed medications. (CL/IMP/MJ) * ALLEN WANTED NICHOLSON NOT CAINE FOR HANNAH ROLE Director WOODY ALLEN wanted JACK NICHOLSON to star in Oscar-winning movie HANNAH AND HER SISTERS but couldn’t afford his fee - so instead asked MICHAEL CAINE.
The 72-year-old filmmaker let slip that Caine - who won an Academy Award for his performance in the film - wasn’t his first choice for the part and he would have preferred The Shining star.
Allen tells Britain’s Empire magazine, "I couldn’t afford Jack Nicholson." "For Hannah, I wrote the part for an American so I wanted an American actor to play it." But the filmmaker reveals that he would be eager to work with Caine again if the right project came up.
He adds, "(And) if I were doing something that required someone British, I would be thrilled if he would do it."
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
Related News:
